Contentious Hauraki Gulf Protections Passed

Increased marine protections in the Hauraki Gulf have passed their third reading, but not without plenty of discontent from the recreational fishing community around restricting recreational angling options while not going far enough to reduce the scale and impacts of commercial fishing in the Gulf. Customary fishing and some commercial ring-net fishing will also be allowed in the ‘high protection areas’ (HPAs) – the same areas that will be completely shut off for recreational anglers.  

The Hauraki Gulf Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Bill builds on decades of plans and lobbying from local and central government bodies and environmental groups. 

The bill establishes 12 HPAs where a range of activities, including most commercial and all recreational fishing, are prohibited. It also extends two existing marine reserves and establishes five seafloor protection areas (SPAs), where activities that damage the seabed, such as bottom trawling, are excluded. 

The coalition included a late-stage amendment allowing commercial ring-net fishing operators exclusive exemptions to access to some HPAs. 

"We interrogated this abject ridiculousness at the committee of the whole stage and the minister could not provide us with any evidence whatsoever for those fundamentally baseless assertions,” said Auckland Central MP Chlöe Swarbrick regarding the commercial fishing exemptions. 

The legislation will come into force before the end of the year, with a new team of Department of Conservation marine ranges on the water now to educate the public and monitor compliance.

NZ Fishing News will keep anglers up to date on the timing and implications of the new legislation as more information is released. 

-Nick Jones